Randsburg, a remote Kern County "living ghost town," hoping to draw crowds with Halloween tours

A remote Kern County "living ghost town" is hoping to draw crowds this spooky season, thanks to the help of a ghost hunter offering tours of the historic, haunted halls. 

Randsburg, which was once a booming California Gold Rush town founded in 1895, has seen most of its residents leave over the years. But the nearly three dozen residents who still live there say the town is still filled with those who lingered after their deaths. 

"We have our madams. We have the shootouts, we have people that were shot in the street, we've had people who were lynched, we have it all," said Marie Mason, the ghost hunter leading tours of the historic town. 

With just 40 people still "living" in Randsburg, residents say the buildings appear empty, but are far from it. Though they say the spirits are still dancing, the town itself is dying. 

"It's gonna be dead out here," said David Wood, who owns the "Randsburg Rod Shop," which sells both souvenirs and bike parts for the off-roading community that typically frequents the Rand Mountains. This year, however, trails were closed to protect the desert tortoise, dealing a fatal blow to the town's crucial tourism industry. 

"We, maybe, had 10 visitors that came into the shop over a three-day weekend, and usually the town is packed," Wood said. 

Now, Randsburg locals hope their storied history, plus some horror, can bring a little boom back to the once-bustling town. Mason's tour includes stops in several of the town's allegedly haunted locations, during which she uses her paranormal equipment to hunt for residents past. 

"We pull out all the stops," Mason said. "We have a trolly ride, we have a local that tells you the history."

Tickets for the Halloween Weekend can be found online.